BISON

NAME
bison - GNU Project parser generator (yacc replacement)
SYNOPSIS
bison [ -b file-prefix ] [ --file-prefix=file-prefix ] [
-d ] [ --defines ] [ -k ] [ --token-table ] [ -l ] [ --no-
lines ] [ -n ] [ --no-parser ] [ -o outfile ] [ --output-
file=outfile ] [ -p prefix ] [ --name-prefix=prefix ] [ -r
] [ --raw ] [ -t ] [ --debug ] [ -v ] [ --verbose ] [ -V ]
[ --version ] [ -y ] [ --yacc ] [ -h ] [ --help ] [
--fixed-output-files ] file
DESCRIPTION
Bison is a parser generator in the style of yacc(1). It
should be upwardly compatible with input files designed
for yacc.
Input files should follow the yacc convention of ending in
.y. Unlike yacc, the generated files do not have fixed
names, but instead use the prefix of the input file. For
instance, a grammar description file named parse.y would
produce the generated parser in a file named parse.tab.c,
instead of yacc's y.tab.c.
This description of the options that can be given to bison
is adapted from the node Invocation in the bison.texinfo
manual, which should be taken as authoritative.
Bison supports both traditional single-letter options and
mnemonic long option names. Long option names are indi-
cated with -- instead of -. Abbreviations for option
names are allowed as long as they are unique. When a long
option takes an argument, like --file-prefix, connect the
option name and the argument with =.
OPTIONS
-b file-prefix
--file-prefix=file-prefix
Specify a prefix to use for all bison output file
names. The names are chosen as if the input file
were named file-prefix.c.
-d
--defines
Write an extra output file containing macro defini-
tions for the token type names defined in the gram-
mar and the semantic value type YYSTYPE, as well as
a few extern variable declarations.
If the parser output file is named name.c then this
file is named name.h.
This output file is essential if you wish to put
the definition of yylex in a separate source file,
because yylex needs to be able to refer to token
type codes and the variable yylval.
-r
--raw The token numbers in the name.h file are usually
the Yacc compatible translations. If this switch
is specified, Bison token numbers are output
instead. (Yacc numbers start at 257 except for
single character tokens; Bison assigns token num-
bers sequentially for all tokens starting at 3.)
-k
--token-table
This switch causes the name.tab.c output to include
a list of token names in order by their token num-
bers; this is defined in the array yytname. Also
generated are #defines for YYNTOKENS, YYNNTS, YYN-
RULES, and YYNSTATES.
-l
--no-lines
Don't put any #line preprocessor commands in the
parser file. Ordinarily bison puts them in the
parser file so that the C compiler and debuggers
will associate errors with your source file, the
grammar file. This option causes them to associate
errors with the parser file, treating it an inde-
pendent source file in its own right.
-n
--no-parser
Do not generate the parser code into the output;
generate only declarations. The generated
name.tab.c file will have only constant declara-
tions. In addition, a name.act file is generated
containing a switch statement body containing all
the translated actions.
-o outfile
--output-file=outfile
Specify the name outfile for the parser file.
The other output files' names are constructed from
outfile as described under the -v and -d switches.
-p prefix
--name-prefix=prefix
Rename the external symbols used in the parser so
that they start with prefix instead of yy. The
precise list of symbols renamed is yyparse, yylex,
yyerror, yylval, yychar, and yydebug.
For example, if you use -p c, the names become
cparse, clex, and so on.
-t
--debug
Output a definition of the macro YYDEBUG into the
parser file, so that the debugging facilities are
compiled.
-v
--verbose
Write an extra output file containing verbose
descriptions of the parser states and what is done
for each type of look-ahead token in that state.
This file also describes all the conflicts, both
those resolved by operator precedence and the unre-
solved ones.
The file's name is made by removing .tab.c or .c
from the parser output file name, and adding .out-
put instead.
Therefore, if the input file is foo.y, then the
parser file is called foo.tab.c by default. As a
consequence, the verbose output file is called
foo.output.
-V
--version
Print the version number of bison and exit.
-h
--help Print a summary of the options to bison and exit.
-y
--yacc
--fixed-output-files
Equivalent to -o y.tab.c; the parser output file is
called y.tab.c, and the other outputs are called
y.output and y.tab.h. The purpose of this switch
is to imitate yacc's output file name conventions.
Thus, the following shell script can substitute for
yacc:
bison -y $*
The long-named options can be introduced with `+' as well
as `--', for compatibility with previous releases. Even-
tually support for `+' will be removed, because it is
incompatible with the POSIX.2 standard.
FILES
/usr/local/lib/bison.simple simple parser
/usr/local/lib/bison.hairy complicated parser
SEE ALSO
yacc(1)
The Bison Reference Manual, included as the file
bison.texinfo in the bison source distribution.
DIAGNOSTICS
Self explanatory.